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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · net · rule · present · coach · safe · squash · cell

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — in sport
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — there
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — government
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. net — after costs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com